More Boot Sale Bargains - Synchronicity in Action

By way of a change I was actually selling at the boot sale today - the lazybones boot sale at Rettenden - and as is customary on these occasions I was able to have a wander around and to hopefully snaffle a couple of bargains. This indeed proved to be the case and the first acquisition was a pristine paperback copy of The Bloody Crucible of Courage by Brent Nosworthy for the princely sum of £2 - not bad when the cover price is £18.99! Given my current foray into the American Civil War this was a superb example of synchronicity in action! The book is a study of the 'Fighting Methods and Combat Experience of the American Civil War' and should complement nicely Rally Once Again by Paddy Griffith.

The second bargain was something a little more unusual. It is a complete copy of the boardgame Conquest designed in the early 70s by the late Donald Benge. The game is an abstract ancient/medieval wargame using point to point movement and features cavalry, infantry, chariots, elephants and two types of warship. Dice are not used and the idea is to either wipe out your opponent or capture his capital. The board features both land and sea areas and chariots, elephants and one of the ship types can also transport troops, thereby increasing tactical flexibility. The box is pretty battered but the contents (52 stylised plastic pieces) are intact; together with a book of tactical puzzles based on the game. I have played this game although many years ago and so it was a welcome acquisition, albeit of an abstract nature.

Selling wise the day was pretty grim but the two items acquired more than made up for it.